Time Travel is Dangerous
Lovably silly sci-fi mockumentary Time Travel is Dangerous sees best friends Ruth (Ruth Syratt) and Megan (Megan Stevenson) discover a time machine in the shape of a modified bumper car behind the bins at their vintage shop in London. Rather than using the technology for scientific discovery, they decide that the best use for it is to venture back in time to procure stock for their store. Despite the machine’s inventor (Brian Bovell) warning them of the dangers of their actions, the pair continue their historic thievery until an ominous wormhole appears in their shop, which soon spells catastrophe.
Director and co-writer Chris Reading nails this flick’s deadpan tone. The pitch-perfect indifference of Syratt and Stevenson’s performances is the basis for a lot of genuinely funny gags. Watching those two nabbing artefacts from across time while being perpetually bored by it all is already more than enough to make this low-budget comedy a fantastically good time, but Reading gradually dials up the absurdity of events as the plot progresses. Just as viewers think they’ve seen everything this film has to offer, an interdimensional octopus voiced by Brian Blessed appears. It’s brilliantly insane.
The deliberately clunky special effects that look like they’ve been pulled from a straight-to-video film from the 80s also play a big part in capturing the offbeat tone, alongside lending plenty of charm to the more sci-fi sequences. The supporting cast is a treasure trove of talent, with the likes of Sophia Thompson, Guy Henry, Johnny Vegas, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe being notable additions. Stephen Fry features as the narrator, and Alex Horne and the Horne Section also make a brief cameo appearance.
As much of a madcap romp as Reading’s feature is, the pacing hits the occasional snag whenever the plot gets tangled in its own ridiculousness. Events move so fast and sometimes come from out of nowhere that it gets hard to follow what is supposed to be happening. While Ruth and Megan’s misadventure is best enjoyed by going with the flow, the disjointedness has a negative impact on character motivations and their development.
Time Travel is Dangerous is British comedy at its finest. It’s nonsensical in all the right ways and is guaranteed to be a great time for anyone who watches.
Andrew Murray
Time Travel is Dangerous is released in select cinemas on 28th March 2025.
Watch the trailer for Time Travel is Dangerous here:
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